Frozen II: Burned
by OmegusXIII
Summary: After the Great Thaw, Arendelle prospered in peace and joy. However, one night, an attack was made on Arendelle and Anna, cursing her with the powers of fire and ash. With Arendelle at risk, it's up to Anna, Elsa, and their friends to journey to the Enchanted Forest and set things right. However, they'll soon find that the attack wasn't as random as some believe...
1. When All is Lost, All is Found

**A/N: Hello. :) This is a start of my take on Frozen II. I first saw it in theaters after this Christmas, and I have to say… it was epic! My only gripe about it is that Anna didn't get any powers. Then, I had an idea. What if she did? Of course, I'm not the first to think of that, so I looked at several art pieces dedicated to that, and out of all of them, very few struck out to me as ideal to use as a basis to blend with the plot of the original story. Eventually, I found a fanmade novel called "Scorched" (all credit goes to deviantart user RemainUndefined) and was immediately impressed. We'll talk more about it later. For now, I hope you enjoy the beginning of the story. :)**

**Prologue: **When All is Lost, All is Found

Many years ago, two little girls were playing in the house. One had blonde hair tied back in a ponytail with a blue dress and the other had red hair in small pigtails with a tan dress. They were inside their room as they played. But it wasn't normally with toys, on the other hand. It was with snow.

One of the children was born with magical powers that allowed this to be a possibility, among many others. And despite the other being born without powers, she still had fun nonetheless with her. Then, in that moment, as they continued playing, their father and mother shouted to them from another room.

"Anna! Elsa!"

"Bed time soon!"

The children didn't seem to be in such a rush for it as one picked up a snow-like model of a Fairy Princess before she picked up another that resembled a monster as she used it to knock the princess to the ground, making the other daughter gasp.

"Uh-oh! The Fairy Princess is trapped by the Snow Goblin's evil spell! Quick, Elsa, make a prince. A fancy one."

While they continued to play with Elsa having made the model of a prince, their father peeked through the door, holding a candle with a smile as the other child proceeded with the story.

"Oh, no! The prince is trapped too! 'Who cares about danger when there's love?'"

The girl then took the snow dolls of the prince and princess, making them kiss, much to Elsa's disgust.

"Ew, Anna! Blegh! Kissing won't save the forest."

In that moment, both of their parents came inside and watched them play as Elsa proceeded onwards with the story as their father smiled.

"The lost fairies cry out!"

Elsa then proceeded to make an elephant noise as she held a miniature doll of it before holding up a Giraffe doll, becoming lost on how it would sound.

"What sound does a Giraffe make?"

"Mm-mm-mmm."

Elsa then decided to move on as she then used her magic to make a model of a fairy on top of a horse before tossing it at the monster, knocking it down before Anna held tightly on all of the figures.

"Never mind. They awake the Fairy Queen who breaks the spell and saves everyone!"

"And they all get married!"

This earned a giggle from Elsa as her father pondered on what game they were playing before Anna answered him.

"What are you playing?"

"Enchanted Forest."

"That's like no enchanted forest I've ever seen."

Elsa's attention was quickly grabbed by his words, gasping at such a revelation while making her younger sister just as surprised.

"You've seen an enchanted forest?"

"Wait, what?"

"I have. Once."

Anna became very suspicious towards her father as she stood up and crossed her arms.

"And you never told us this before?"

"Well, I could tell you now."

This made the young girls very eager to hear it, Anna especially as they scurried on top of the bed while their mother showed concern over it.

"Okay, now. Tell us now."

"Are you sure about this?"

The father didn't see anything to be concerned about it as he smiled to her.

"It's time they know."

Anna then leaned to her sister's ear and whispered into it as her father smiled before he spoke to them.

"Let's make a snowman later."

"If they can settle and listen."

Anna and Elsa then held their breaths, though the former's cheeks were puffed out like a bullfrog's, warning a small chuckle from her father before he proceeded to tell his story.

"Far away, as north as we can go stood a very old and very enchanted forest."

Anna's cheeks dropped as she gasped in wonder before her father proceeded.

"But its magic wasn't that of goblins, spells, and lost fairies. It was protected by the most powerful spirits of all. Those of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. But it was also home to the mysterious Northuldra people."

Elsa became interested about them as she inquired of them.

"Were the Northuldra magical, like me?"

"No, Elsa. They were not magical. They just took advantage of the forest's gifts. Their ways were so different from ours. But still, they promised us friendship. In honor of that, your grandfather, King Grunard, built a mighty dam to strengthen their waters. It was a gift of peace."

Anna felt it was a very tall thing to deliver to them.

"That's a big gift of peace."

* * *

_As the father continued to tell his story, he could remember, clear as day, how awestruck he was when he saw them for the first time._

"And I was so honored to get to go to the forest to celebrate it."

_The father had a smile on his face before, staring at the Northuldra tribe in front of him. They were nothing like her ever seen before. He could've looked at them longer, but his father nudged him under his chin his finger as King Grunard spoke to him._

"_Stand tall, Agnarr."_

_As his father walked towards the people, Agnarr walked behind him with a smile. From then on, Agnarr was in a circle and watched as two reindeer went around with people in their backs, as a sort of rodeo which made the lieutenant next to him clap as he laughed before noticing on one side an Arendellian being taken to shore with a wave and looking to another to see a playful fire hopping around another soldier. Then, Agnarr took notice of the boulders flying in the air before landing to make a sculpture of a reindeer as he smiled._

"I wasn't prepared at all for what the day would bring. We let our guard down. We were charmed. It felt so... magical."

_Then, Agnarr felt a breeze whistling by him before turning to see where it headed and tried to follow it, noticing a girl being carried by it as she giggled before it dragged her away. Agnarr was about to follow more closely as he then heard something he didn't expect in times of peace: the sounds of war._

"But something went wrong. They were attacking us."

_Agnarr looked all around to see Arendelle fighting against the Northuldra. He couldn't believe it was happening. As he wondered why any of this was happening, the lieutenant went up in front of him as he held his sword and shield to protect him._

"_Get behind me."_

_The lieutenant then went up against a Northuldran, determined to protect Agnarr as the chaos ensued with Grunard going up against the leader of the tribe, their conflict taking them to the edges of a cliff as Agnarr watched in horror. Eventually, that clash among many others came to a bitter end as they both fell as young Agnarr shouted in fear._

"It was a brutal battle. Your grandfather..."

"_Father!"_

"...was lost."

_Agnarr began to run to where they fell, hoping there was a chance to help them up, only for a giant blaze of fire to drive the people on both sides away while another side had a giant wave of water splashing in between them, causing them to run up to shore before a giant gust of wind blew from another end and a giant boulder landed near Agnarr, knocking him to the ground unconscious and lying by a boulder._

"The fighting enraged the spirits. They turned their magic against us all."

_In that moment, as the dust began to settle around him, Agnarr heard a strange voice calling to him as he was being lifted up into the air._

_Ah-ah-ah-ah_

* * *

"There was this... voice. And someone saved me. I'm told the spirits then vanished. And a powerful mist covered the forest, locking everyone out. On that night, I came home King of Arendelle."

Agnarr then blew out the candle, leaving his daughters in surprise as Anna was the first to speak.

"Whoa, papa. That was epic! Whoever saved you, I love them."

Anna then laid in her mother's lap while wrapping herself in her red scarf as she giggled while her father chuckled and spoke to her before Elsa brought up the questions that came to her mind.

"I wish I knew who it was."

"What happened to the spirits? What's in the forest now?"

"I don't know. The mist still stands. No one can get in, and no one has since come out."

Her mother then told her of the bright side to it.

"So, we're safe."

"Yes. But the forest could wake again. And we need to prepare for every danger it may bring."

"And, on that note, how about we say goodnight to your father?"

Anna's groan came next, its owner desiring to know more.

"Aw! But I have so many questions!"

"Save them for another night, Anna."

"You know I don't have that kind of patience. Why did the Northuldra attack us anyway? Who attacks people who give them gifts?"

Elsa, on the other hand, was mainly concerned about the main part of their way of life, the forest as she spoke to her mother."

"Do you think the forest will wake again?"

"Only Ahtohallan knows."

Anna was the first to be confused as it sounded like gibberish to her.

"Ahto-who-what?"

"When I was little, my mother would sing to me a song about a river called 'Ahtohallan'. That was said to hold all the answers in the past, about what we are a part of."

"Whoa..."

Elsa felt like it could be something to listen to as she spoke to her in wonder.

"Will you sing it for us? Please?"

Her mother gave her a soft smile before she answered, scooching herself in between them.

"Okay. Cuddle close. Scooch in."

The children giggled as Anna laid by her mother as did Elsa before she began to sing. As she did, Anna was stroked gently by the middle of her face. As the first verse was finished, she began to snore, allowing her mother to tuck her into bed as she carried her over and set her down before going to Elsa to do the same. She carried her by her arms and held her as they looked out the window and saw the northern lights in the sky as she continued to sing.

"_**Where the north wind meets the sea**_

_**There's a river full of memory**_

_**Sleep, my darling, safe and sound**_

_**For in this river all is found**_

_**In her waters, deep and true**_

_**Lay the answers and a path for you**_

_**Dive down deep into her sound**_

_**But not too far or you'll be drowned**_

_**Yes, she will sing to those who'll hear**_

_**And in her song, all magic flows**_

_**But can you brave what you most fear?**_

_**Can you face what the river knows?**_

_**Where the north wind meets the sea**_

_**There's a mother full of memory**_

_**Come, my darling, homeward bound**_

_**When all is lost, then all is found"**_

All the while, however, on the mountains overlooking Arendelle, a strange feminine figure in a black cloak glared her emerald eyes over the proud city with a vicious hatred as she clenched her hands while speaking to herself.

"One day, you will all pay..."

* * *

**A/N: Hello. :) Now, I know what you're thinking. "This is the way it started as before." Well, anything major that'd happen usually begins later on. Like my plan for the next chapter for instance. Oops! Can't give it away too soon. Although, it'll be safe to say that Anna would be expected to have fire powers in the story. Anyway, back to the Scorched novel, for those of you who haven't seen it, I suggest you do. It's a very good read, I promise you.**

**And, seeing as the story will most likely be a bit darker, David Pemberton's music will join the score for this story to capture the moods in certain parts of it. I'm also currently working on a new original song that'll show how Anna changes and comes to grip with her powers while also helping her be strong enough to do The Next Right Thing. It'll be a reprise of All is Found, but in a more tribal version and with Anna's own dialogue added to it, the last thing of which I'm having trouble with so far. If anyone has any ideas for Anna's lyrics, please P.M. me or leave a review on my story with an idea. Other than that, I hope you all have a good day and night. :)**


	2. An Unwelcome Guest

**A/N: Hello. :) Here is another chapter for my Frozen story. As one can assume, it's about here years after the Great Thaw. And, like I said before, the music will be assisted by David Pemberton's own score. For those who are more interested in the story, you're free to skip over the bold and italicized tracks for his music. For now, this chapter will start off like the movie did, but it'll show more background on Kai and a special friend of Elsa's (for the record, they're not a pairing as of yet. Otherwise, I'd have made it clear in story management). Also, you can expect the appearance of a certain witch in this story. That's all I'm willing to say for now.**

**Chapter 1: **An Unwelcome Guest

Many years later since that night, Elsa is now Queen of Arendelle. The people have grown more tolerant of her powers. In fact, they even admired her potential. To think that back then, they used to fear her powers. Not that Elsa would blame them; she was afraid of what she'd do with them herself.

Before the Great Thaw, Elsa inadvertently set off an eternal winter when she ran away, hoping to keep the people and Anna safe. Alas, she realized her attempts were in vain once she heard of Arendelle's condition from Anna. From there, her fear drove her to something worse: freezing her own sister's heart. It wasn't Elsa's intention to hurt her sister, but that's what she'd feared all along, the very reason she chose to run from her home.

Seeing her own sister freeze in front of her to save her life, Elsa didn't see any way to forgive herself. The image of her cold, icy statue was practically burned into her mind. It still gave her chills to this day. Then, when it seemed there was no way to make amends, Anna was restored just as quickly. As it turned out, the answer to that was the same answer to Elsa's own curse: Love.

It was love that showed Elsa how to bring Summer back and to control her powers. This was something she couldn't thank Anna enough for. It's thanks to her that she was staring out the window as the autumn breeze flew by, the queen gazing upon Arendelle's people as they walked in through the open gates that she promised would never close again. In her gaze of astonishment, however, Elsa was caught off-guard by her and Anna's personal caretaker, Kai, going to her as he spoke to her.

"Your majesty. They're ready."

Elsa jumped back in surprise as her hands that clutched on the wooden handles suddenly generated ice that kept her in place. It was a bit embarrassing for Elsa to be in this predicament as she chuckled with embarrassment before she turned to her caretaker and went by his side.

"Excuse me. I'm coming."

Elsa was about to get started on her daily grind, but then, she heard a strange voice, turning quickly the instant she began to hear it.

_Ah-ah-ah-ah_

It wasn't like anything she'd heard before. Could someone be calling her? Or would that just be the wind? Either way, it made her quite curious.

"Do you hear that?"

"What?"

It might be safe for Elsa to say that Kai didn't hear that voice. Perhaps it was just the wind after all. There's be no use keeping the others waiting from dwelling on it.

"Never mind."

Elsa then proceeded to go inside the castle and go on with her day. She knew the drill that came with being the queen; she'd gotten rather used to it for these three years since the Great Thaw. First, the people would come to her and address some issues in their town, problems of which can be fixed within the week. Second is the meeting with Arendelle's trade partners to discuss where the goods must and mustn't be exported due to situational changes in one's own territory. Thirdly, and lastly, she would get to know the locals and interact with them. There was never a dull moment for Elsa, she can say that much.

But as Elsa left to do her duties, a wind was blowing by the patio where she stood and down past the castle's entrance where the people came in crowds to see their queen. Among the people who flocked over to the castle was an elderly woman with a black cloak over her long, silver hair, her wrinkled, thin face, and her emerald eyes. Her sour countenance was all the evidence the people needed to see how angry she was, though they never knew why. Those that had an idea only assumed that there must be a problem even the Snow Queen's power wouldn't fix. Little did they know how right they'd be...

The woman was in such apoplexy towards everything in Arendelle. To list an example, one look at a cobbler's workshop was only enough to earn a spiteful "Bah!" from her. Practically, everything she looked at from the cobbler to the flower store only received nothing less than disapproval. And as if that weren't enough, the castle itself was practically mocking her as she gazed upon it. Of all the things she saw in Arendelle, this infuriated her the most. Nevertheless, she continued onwards, to meet the one they call Queen Elsa.

* * *

Inside the castle, Elsa was getting ready to mingle with the people. If she still feared her powers then, this would've been unnerving all the time. But now that she'd learned how to control them, there was no need for worry to flood her mind. Although, it didn't mean that her mingling with the people was always pleasant.

In one instance, people bombarded Elsa with questions about who her suitor would be. Even Anna wanted to know. More often than not, she told them that she's not interested in finding one anytime soon. Of course, they'd still wonder, because, well, who can say? Thank goodness they picked up on the decency to leave it be afterwards. Besides, there was a silver lining to that fiasco. And it was none other than Countess Alicia.

She had cool, blue eyes with tan skin and dark brown hair at medium length behind her blue dress with the lighter shade of the color on her sleeves. It happened when Elsa was unable to take the wave of questions her first day and tried to find someplace in the castle to relax from the barrage. This was right on that time when Alicia came to her rescue, though it came as quite a surprise.

Alicia was born into a family who served her family and was only a child when they started to close the gates and doors to keep Elsa's powers hidden. She had been told not to interact with her until she had her powers under control, and even then, she was still nervous after the Coronation fiasco, but with Elsa under the pressure from her duties after the Great Thaw, Alicia had to step in and offer her her room. It wasn't quite as beautiful as her room, but the normality of it was enough for her to be able to relax. From then on, they began their beautiful friendship. It was partly what made her mingling much easier. And it was what Elsa was hoping for as Kai introduced her to the people who bowed as he did so, as is the custom.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

Elsa walked across the room before turning to the people and looking around. Sure enough, she could see the person she was looking for among the crowd, smiling back to her with a small wave as she returned the smile to her. Alicia quickly went back to bowing her head down, though her smile still remained as Kai spoke out to the people again.

"Now, remember not to overwhelm the Queen. We've seen what can happen before."

Elsa was the first to acknowledge this, having accidentally caused the world to freeze before, but all the same, didn't quite feel the need to be babysat.

"Kai, I'll be alright, really."

Kai took a bow in response as he gave a smile to her. He felt it was better safe than sorry since her first day overwhelmed her, but beyond that, he knew Elsa could handle it.

"Of course, your majesty."

Elsa then walked down the steps as the people began interacting with each other as Alicia stood up and looked to her queen.

"Hey, Elsa. Oh, I mean, Your Majesty."

"Alicia, you know it's okay to call me 'Elsa'."

"Right. Well, uh, thanks for the dress."

"You're welcome."

* * *

As the mingling began, the woman who entered the castle with a sour mood looked around the square with people headed inside the castle or looking around the square or at the fountains with... frozen water? It was an unexpected thing to see in the Fall, let alone unnatural, but the people seemed content with it anyway. Perhaps too content...

"Hmph. Not much has changed..."

The woman turned her gaze to the castle doors, open wide for all to enter. Somehow, this made her feel even worse than the outside of the castle ever did.

"Not even those open doors..."

Getting more stifled by the second, the elderly woman walked to the castle with walking haste.

* * *

Back in the castle, Elsa and Alicia were grouped together, though she knew the girl wasn't the only person to talk to. In a sense, that was the whole point. Alicia needed help overcoming her shyness, and Elsa was there to help her as she did her duties, truly a win-win situation. With each experience they had with other people, by now, the people wouldn't even recall how shy she was anymore. Although, she couldn't help but be curious about Anna's lack of presence thereof as she spoke inquisitively to her.

"So, Elsa."

"Yeah?"

"I know Anna doesn't have the same duties as you, but... do you know where she is?"

As luck would have it, Elsa had a good idea about where Anna was. Her own duties include directly going to help people in their own business. And with how close the winter is coming, Elsa can easily make a guess.

"Well, she's helping Kristoff with his ice business."

Alicia had concerns about that, knowing how likely the ice would melt.

"Oh. That's a rough business to be in during the summer, isn't it?"

"Yes, Alicia, I know. But there's not much Anna can't do for everyone. I should know."

Alicia was aware of that herself. She knew how hard Anna worked to bring her back to Arendelle. It was very brave of her to do that, even if it gave her a frozen heart in the process. If only the King and Queen could see them now.

"Yeah. She helped make the Great Thaw happen, after all. Your parents would've been so proud of the both of you."

Elsa's face couldn't help but be saddened upon hearing them. No one has brought them up to her for so long a time. To think that she'd almost forgotten them... Alicia took notice of her dismal face and began to regret bringing them up the way she had.

"Elsa, are you okay?"

Elsa tried the hardest she could not to cry as she took a deep breath before replying back.

"Just— just fine."

"I'm so sorry if I hurt you, Elsa. I didn't mean to—"

"No, Alicia. It's okay. It's just... I guess it's been so long that I've almost forgotten about them. Almost."

This made Alicia wonder about their destination. She wasn't told about where they were going when they left. Maybe Elsa would know.

"You know... I never did find out where they were going before they... you know. Would you know?"

Sadly, Elsa could only shake her head.

"No. I wish I did."

Just then, they heard the doors slamming open, catching everyone's attention as they were all taken by surprise, and they turned to the source of the racket. Sure enough, it was the elderly woman in a black cloak.

"I demand to speak to Queen Elsa!"

Elsa didn't know what to make of this demand, nor did anyone else. They could only assume that she must've had a rotten day that needed her undivided attention. Either way, none knew what to say before she shouted again.

"Well?! Where is your queen?!"

Elsa didn't quite see the need to let her foul mood escalate any further. So, she stepped up and revealed herself to the woman, however heavy the pressure was starting to be.

"I-I'm right here, ma'am. I'm Queen Elsa."

The woman turned to the direction of her voice and saw Elsa walking to her. She didn't look like any traditional king or queen. It must be hard to tell because of the outfit, but she didn't come here to judge her fashion sense.

"You're Queen Elsa?"

"Uh, yes. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Ah, yes. I want to know if what I've heard about you is true."

Elsa was caught off-guard by that question. But she rebounded on that, asking for more details.

"Well, that depends. What exactly did you hear?"

_**Play David Pemberton Music: "The Crystal Chamber"**_

The woman made no hesitation to speak the news she'd heard from her.

"I've heard that three years ago, you yourself froze the entire fjord and the whole world with it. True or false?"

The crowd all knew what happened, so they felt the pressure as much as Elsa did in this very moment. Their faces of unease wasn't lost on the woman, but hers was still trained on Elsa's, trying to decide whether or not to answer. Unfortunately, the woman didn't have that kind of patience.

"Answer the question."

After a short moment of silence, Elsa answered her as she was told.

"It's true, but—"

"Stop! I'm not finished."

The situation's intensity began to rise with unnerved faces all glancing to the woman and Elsa as the stranger told her of another rumor, much to Alicia's dismay.

"I've also heard that when your sister tried to bring you back home, you repaid her by freezing her heart. True... or false?"

"Leave Elsa alone! She didn't mean to—!"

"Quiet! They all need to know."

Elsa was beginning to get nervous. Only she, Anna, and the castle's staff were the only ones who knew about that. How did she hear about that at all? And as if that moment wasn't enough, Elsa was beginning to relive everything she'd done since they all found out what she could do. It was all starting to be too much for her to take.

"I-It's true..."

All the while, Kai began to notice how frightened Elsa was becoming. He saw it before when everyone was against her. And t seemed to be worse with the woman torturing her with another question.

"And finally, I've heard that you planned to stay away from Arendelle after freezing it! True or false?!"

Elsa couldn't deny that she wanted to stay away from Arendelle. But back then, it was when she couldn't control her powers. Was she trying to make her lose control on purpose? To set off another Big Freeze? The only thing she can be certain of is that this woman has no mercy. All the same, she tried to answer her without letting fear consume her like before. But with how much she apparently knew about Elsa, it was getting very difficult.

"It's true..."

This made the whole crowd gasp and murmur in surprise to hear it from Elsa, along with the fact that the ground is turning white and the air started to chill, as if the atmosphere became just as cold as the woman's words.

"Then what made you queen in the first place?"

Alicia only began to glare at the woman, hurt that a stranger would openly prosecute her friend in front of the whole kingdom. Unable to let it go, Alicia began to tense her right hand into a fist, aiming to shut her up to spare Elsa the pain of awful remembrance that's causing her to turn the ground to frost beneath her as the woman went on.

"What made these people trust you so much that they could just put everything you did behind them?! How do they know you won't attack them?! How do they know if they can ever count on you?!"

Alicia was about to retaliate, only to be stopped by Elsa's hand. Alicia didn't see why she did, considering all that she'd suffered through before.

"No, Alicia. We can't make it worse than it already is..."

"The ground is turning to frost! How can this be worse, Elsa?!"

The woman overheard the squabble between them and added to it.

"Hmph. Sometimes, I wonder."

Her comment didn't go unnoticed, nor did the rest of the conversation as Kai shouted at the woman.

"That is enough! I made it very clear not to overwhelm her majesty with such questions. You will leave the premises immediately!"

The woman was not threatened by his order. She only scoffed at it as she replied callously.

"Make me, fatso."

This earned a growl from Kai before the woman further prosecuted Elsa, further angering Alicia in the process.

"That's the problem with you Arendellians! You're too trusting! So much so that you left the gates wide open for anyone to waltz in! One day or another, it will get you all killed!"

Alicia was way past her boiling point at this juncture. Every word she said was enough to make her angry. Clearly, she knew how much it'd hurt Elsa. And she's not going to let it go on any longer. Finally, she'd snapped, barking at the very prosecutor before her.

"SHUT UP!"

This earned several gasps of surprise and shock to hear it from her. Even when she was getting over her shyness, she'd never raised her voice even once. The stranger, however, was not impressed.

"You better learn to respect your elders, child."

"And you better learn to check your facts! Elsa may have done all the things she said were true, but she made each and every one of them right! So you have absolutely no right to come in here and prosecute her for everything she and Princess Anna already fixed years ago! That's pathetic of you to even try!"

The crowd seemed to agree with Alicia as they all nodded and murmured in favor of her. Elsa was in awe over this. After everything they'd been through because of her, they still chose to stand by her side. Giving his own nod and a smile with it to Elsa, Kai knew it wouldn't come as a surprise. They all knew how much of an effort Elsa made to make things right since then. What did she expect? However, this did not deter the woman, even as she admitted the folly of her accusations.

"Perhaps so. But my word on your trust still stands. The only thing it's good for is a stab in the back just waiting to happen."

Elsa took her turn to glare at the woman next, standing by Alicia and Kai as she spoke sternly to her, regaining her composure as the frosty ground began turning back to normal.

"I don't know who you are, or what you've been through to make you think that way, but if you think I'm going to let you terrorize me or anyone else in this kingdom, you're sadly mistaken. It's time for you to go."

The woman only narrowed her glare in a moment of silence before she spoke bitterly.

"Alright. I'll leave. But mark my words, just so you can't say I didn't warn you. If you don't close those gates when I leave... you will wish you've never opened them again. I guarantee you that it's a promise I intend to keep."

The woman turned away quickly and headed out of the door she burst in through, her footsteps fading off in the hall as the people looked on. They all heard her cryptic threat. And given how close Elsa was to being on her knees in grief, it will not be a threat to take lightly. All at once, the people looked to her as several murmured among themselves.

"Are we really going to close the gates again?"

"We can't close them, not while the Princess is outside of the castle."

"We shouldn't close them at all! That hag must be bluffing."

"But what if she's not?"

At this juncture, Elsa didn't know what to do. On one hand, it'd be best to take precautionary measures. On the other hand, Elsa would be worried about how Anna would take it.

_I like the open gates._

After all that time in forced isolation, subjecting her to it would be the last thing she deserved. Especially when it came to her promise...

_We are never closing them again._

When Alicia saw how Elsa was trembling, she tried to check up on her and make sure she wasn't too rattled.

"Are you alright, Elsa?"

"I... I don't know."

Alicia could see how worried Elsa was becoming from the dilemma. After what the old crone was doing to her, why wouldn't she be? After three years of open gates, now she has to choose whether to keep them open or shut them closed again. This time, all of Arendelle depended on it. Alicia wouldn't be sure how to make that call herself. She wasn't sure if Elsa would be up for it today after what just happened. Frankly, neither did Kai as he tried to usher her out.

"You must be frazzled. Let's get you someplace to clear your head for a while."

Elsa didn't hesitate to take her caretaker's hand as she walked with him. After the confrontation that took place, a rest would be something she needed, especially when it comes to such a stressful decision.

"Yes, I think that would be best. Thank you."

Elsa and Kai began to exit the room as Alicia went with them, hoping to comfort the queen any way she could. What happened to her today was not fair, she thought. Why should people persecute her for what happened in the past when she made up for it? It didn't make any sense to her. However, Elsa was more worried about the obvious one, almost as much as her current predicament: how did she even know what happened?

_**End David Pemberton Music: "The Crystal Chamber"**_

* * *

**A/N: Whoa. Boy, did those people show her what's what. But she's not done yet. She does intend to keep her promise, one way or another… Also, Alicia's voice would be portrayed by Ashley Johnson while that woman's voice would be portrayed by Donna Kimball. I won't spoil anything else for the story beyond that. Let's just hope that Anna doesn't cross her path…**


	3. Cursed

**A/N: Hello. :) This is my next chapter in my Frozen story. This chapter, in itself will be a tribute to RemainUndefined's Scorched storyline, though it remains incomplete, as will the next chapter. Other than that, I hope you enjoy.**

**Chapter 2:** Cursed

Meanwhile, the woman that persecuted Elsa was grumbling to herself as she left Arendelle. Most of the grumbling in particular was towards Alicia since she spoke out for Elsa. What's more, she called her pathetic. It was definitely not something that she could just forgive, even if she did have a point.

"Pathetic, am I? I'll show you pathetic. In fact, I have an entire book on what's pathetic! And you're on it!"

The woman then turned behind her to see that the gates are still open. She gave a growling glare towards those doors before continuing onwards, stewing in her spite. Much to her dismay, it didn't change one bit after her visit. Why would it? Arendellians never could take a hint.

"Bah! Still, those gates are open! Why isn't Arendelle frozen in the first place?!"

That's when she remembered what Alicia told her in the castle. She said that it was Elsa and Princess Anna who fixed everything the former was prosecuted for. But how could that be possible? Nothing could stop her powers from growing. Unless... That's when she remembered the counter-curse. Only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart. And only one person has been a prime example of that.

"Of course... the Princess! This is all her fault! If only she stayed dead!"

It was frustrating to the woman that the Princess interfered, but it wasn't altogether unexpected that Arendelle would still stand from that. In fact, she made a plan for that scenario long before she came here. Her spectacle at the castle was merely a warning. It's the next step of her plan they should be worried about.

With that in mind, the woman continued on the path that led away from Arendelle. And yet, she wondered what truly became of the Princess since the Great Thaw. She hadn't seen her inside the castle, but she still must be around, though she didn't care enough to see her personally. Little did she know that fate would have other plans. Much to her indifference, a wind blew by the elderly woman as its leaves were headed to the other end of the path, coincidentally where Anna and the others were coming from as it blew by her, giving a small chill as she shivered a bit before a tall, rugged, and handsome blonde-haired man with a black and red leather coat, a dark green shirt under it, a snow cap, pointed shoes, and pants turned to her.

"You okay, Anna?"

"Yeah, Kristoff. Just felt a little chill."

The snowman beneath her began to speak to her as he had a feeling that the snow cloud over his head may be the source.

"Oh. It must be my flurry. It is pretty cold."

"No, Olaf. It's okay. It was probably the wind."

Anna was dressed in a light blue and green dress and wearing a purple scarf as she rode in a sleigh with Kristoff, the iceman who helped her in searching for Elsa, Olaf, the snowman she inadvertently created when she fled from Arendelle, and Sven, the reindeer who accompanied Kristoff his whole life. They were on their way back from helping Kristoff with his ice business, which was admittedly difficult for Anna to help out with physically, especially more so for Olaf and his thin, wooden arms. But they were able to pack the ice to deliver to the populace of Arendelle, and just in time for the Autumn Festival, too.

With the duties Elsa must do, Anna felt it could help her sister to deliver ice to them to save her the hassle of providing them, which was among the reasons why he was named Ice Master and Deliverer. Still, Kristoff appreciated the help that Anna gave him.

"So, uh... thanks for the help, Anna. Really."

"Sure. I mean, you've done a lot of hard work as is. It wouldn't be right not to return the favor, you know?"

"Yeah. I guess."

Anna leaned back on his sled and gazed up at the sky. As far as they were concerned, it was just another day in Arendelle. And it's usually in days like this where it was easy to relax and enjoy the view, something Anna was especially grateful for. After a life of shut doors and closed gates, she was finally free. Even better, she had Kristoff, Sven, Olaf, and Elsa by her side. To her, every day she spends with them is perfect. That's why she wanted those days to last longer.

"You know, we should do stuff like this more often. Just relaxing and enjoying the view."

Kristoff can agree with Anna on that. He has worked pretty hard lately. Although, if being an iceman taught him anything, it's that there's always be more work to do.

"I wish we could, Anna. But the Autumn Festival is a busy time for me. You know that."

Of course she did. Anna did suggest that he be made Ice Master and Deliverer. Though it did help Elsa focus more on her duties, Anna mainly did this to repay him for finding her sister, and, to a lesser extent, because she owed him a sled. Still, Anna felt bummed that she wouldn't get to hang out with Kristoff unless it's to help him out in days like this.

"I know. But it's... that's kinda unfair to be working all the time, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I know."

Olaf saw the saddened face of his friend. It wasn't the first time he saw that look, but each time, he knew just what to do.

"Well, I'm no expert, but I think someone needs a warm hug."

Anna could tell what he was doing, and if her smile was any indication, it's working. He always did like warm hugs. She and Elsa were no different. Anna began to hug him tightly as she spoke softly to him.

"I love you, Olaf."

"I know."

As Anna held on to Olaf, Kristoff couldn't help but smile at her. If only they could be together all the time. He wanted that more than anything, too. Sadly, he had a lot of work on his hands this season. Although... with the Winter season coming up, it'll be easier to make time. That's when he got an idea.

"You know, Anna... on the bright side, the Winter season will be coming close. And it's gonna be pretty cold out for me to work, so..."

"But Kristoff, you didn't let the cold bother you before."

"Yeah, but Bulda always gets a bit worried when I work too long on the cold, if you remember."

Having met Bulda before, Anna could tell how much of a handful she was when he was growing up. She was overly enthusiastic about setting her up with Kristoff. True as it was, Anna began to realize what he was getting at.

"Oh, right. Wait. You mean... you're gonna take a break?"

"Well, yeah. And maybe then, we could... uh we could be together. Does that sound good?"

Anna began to smile towards him as she looked to him before she planted a kiss on his cheek, making him blush as she replied to him.

"It sounds great."

Kristoff began to bear a big smile on his face. It wasn't the first time he'd been kissed, but each time, her love warmed him. And he would do anything to repay that love. Especially if it's to show her how much he loved her himself. For him, there'd be one thing to show for it: a ring. Now that she's accepted his offer, all he had to work on now was how to say those four famous words to her.

"Great."

With the future looking up, Kristoff put his eyes back on the road and looked ahead. Not long after he did, however, he took notice of the woman in the black cloak far ahead of him, urging him to pull on Sven hardly with his leash and causing the reindeer to heel while Anna held tightly on Olaf as she felt the whiplash from a sudden stop, turning to Kristoff with a surprised look.

"W-What just happened?"

Anna looked up ahead to see the woman walking in the middle of their path. That must be why he pulled over so quickly. It's a good thing he did, or she would've been a reindeer pancake with a sled combo. Though, Kristoff was in a hurry with the ice he needed to deliver, so he tried to hurry her along.

"Hey, lady! Think you can get out of the road?!"

Anna didn't think it was necessary for Kristoff to use that tone with her. She could've been ran over after all.

"Kristoff."

The woman, being in a very sour mood already, only retorted at Kristoff meanly with a glare, to which Olaf concurred.

"Well, maybe I would be already if you didn't try to run me over!"

"I wasn't trying to!"

"Well, we were going pretty fast, so..."

Before Kristoff could protest further, Anna placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to keep him from escalating the situation. She knew he wasn't trying to, but Anna also knew he could've put it differently. So, she took over for Kristoff, hoping to put the unease to rest as she put Olaf aside and got down from the sleigh to walk up to her.

"Uh, sorry about that, ma'am. We weren't really trying to run you over. It's just that we were in a hurry and—"

With the Princess trying to explain herself, the woman only gave a look of recognition to her. Her face, however freckled it was, reminded her too much about Queen Elsa. It was then that she realized who was speaking to her: the Princess.

"You..."

Anna was caught off-guard by the woman's glare. She hadn't met this person before today, yet she acted as though she knew her. Was there something she didn't know?

"Wait. You... know me?"

Without hesitation, the woman grabbed Anna by her hand, a shrieked yelp escaping the Princess's lips as Kristoff became frightfully worried and tried to come to her rescue, hopping off his sled and running towards Anna.

"Anna!"

The woman took notice of his valiant attempt and growled as she used her open hand to blast a black mist at Kristoff, trapping his legs in ice. Seeing this was a great surprise for Anna, even more so with its color. Unlike Elsa's which was colored bright blue, hers was pitch black. Not even the sunlight could reflect off of it. While Olaf was shocked by the color, Anna was utterly shaken to realize who she was.

"Well, that's not something you see every day."

"Black ice...? You're... you're a witch...!"

The witch gave a vicious look towards Anna, tightening her vice grip on her hand. Clearly, she had no intention of letting her go.

"And you're the one who ruined everything! You weren't supposed to be alive! Arendelle was supposed to be frozen forever! The Great Thaw was never meant to exist!"

Anna's eyes widened in alarm. Though it occurred to her that she came from Arendelle's direction, she wondered how that witch knew about the Great Thaw. To add to the list of questions quickly being written in her mind, Anna wondered what she had against Arendelle and why she hated her so much. However, among the growing number of inquiries, only one escaped her lips.

"W-What are you talking about?!"

This only further infuriated the witch as her nails practically dug into Anna's skin, earning a pained wince from her as she spoke onwards in anger.

"Enough! You will be punished for this!"

The witch then began to speak in a strange tongue. Even with the knowledge she had in the library with her previous life of isolation, Anna's situation briefly inhibited her knowledge of what language she was speaking, but she knew it wasn't anything good.

_Ab ossibus ad pulpam ad a pulpa ad ner vos, a nervis ad cutem ad pilos._

As the witch repeated this phrase, Anna began to feel a burning sensation in her heart. Sure enough, that sensation spread like wildfire throughout the rest of her body. All she could do was writhe and groan in her clutches as her spell set in. All the while, Sven, Olaf, and Kristoff could only watch in fear as Anna suffered her torment. Not willing to endure any more of it, Kristoff turned to Olaf, hoping he could find something to cut through the black ice trapped around his legs.

"Olaf! Get me my ice pick!"

"Aye-aye!"

Olaf looked in the sled for his ice pick to extricate him from the black ice as the chant resumed with Anna beginning to look the worse for wear.

_A nervis ad cutem ad pilos..._

Anna began to give out as she sank to her knees with the heat inside her getting worse. She felt as though her whole body was burning from the inside out. The pain was starting to be too much to bear... Fortunately, Olaf found what Kristoff needed just in time.

"Hey, I found it!"

"Great! Now hand it over!"

Olaf picked up the ice pick and went over to Kristoff, hopping off of the sled as he brought the tool of escape to Kristoff, who quickly took it and began to pick himself out of the ice. While the iceman tried to free himself, Anna's condition took a turn just when one thought it couldn't get any worse. Her red hair began to glow with a fiery aura. Her eyes were the next to change as they changed from sapphire blue to a golden amber color before they glowed bright orange as well. To make matters worse, her skin itself began to burn hotter than a boiler. However, the witch didn't seem fazed by this heat as her chanting grew louder.

_Ab ossibus ad pulpam ad a pulpa ad ner vos, a nervis ad cutem ad pilos!_

The chanting continued quicker and louder as a red diamond marking glowed on the arm that was held captive by the witch. Anna couldn't bear to endure the pain any longer as her groaning turned into a scream of pain, making Kristoff look to her in fear and urging him to speed up the picking. While trying to free himself, Kristoff tried to encourage Anna not to give in as the witch finished her chant.

"Hang on, Anna! I'm coming!"

_AB OSSIBUS AD PULPAM AD A PULPA AD NER VOS, A NERVIS AD CUTEM AD PILOS!_

With her last shout, the witch finally released her grip of Anna's arm, letting her fall to the ground while she disappeared in a black mist just as Kristoff broke through the ice and freed his legs. By the time he did, however, he was too late. Anna laid on the floor, one of her pigtails unfurled to show that half's full length on the ground with the witch nowhere to be found. Immediately, he assumed the worst and ran over to her as Olaf and Sven looked on sadly.

"Anna!"

Kristoff knelt down by the ice and tried to lift her in his arms. As he held the unconscious Princess, Anna began to moan as her eyes began to open again. This came as a relief to Kristoff, considering how she was screaming not too long ago.

"Oh, thank goodness! Are you okay?"

"I... I don't know. I felt like I was on fire before, but now..."

Trying to make sense of what was going on with her, Anna tried to place her right hand near Kristoff's shoulder for comfort. But in doing so, Kristoff quickly felt a burn on where she laid her hand, exclaiming at the pain it caused him.

"Agh!"

When she found out it was because of her, Anna was taken aback as she pulled her hand away before she realized what she'd done. Every other time she touched him, it never burned him at all before now. The mystery began to entice her as Olaf noticed her hand beginning another act of involuntary rebellion, much to Kristoff's surprise.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry, Kristoff! I didn't mean to... burn your skin? How did I do that?"

"Uh, probably the same way you're doing that."

"Huh? Doing what?"

Kristoff tried to find a delicate way to put it to his friend as he spoke nervously.

"Uh, Anna, don't freak out, but... your hand?"

Confused initially about what Kristoff was talking about, Anna looked over to her hand and saw that it was on fire. Literally. In her panic, Anna waved her torch, trying to put it out as she exclaimed in fear.

"AAH! My hand's on fire! Put it out!"

Per her frightened request, Kristoff looked for the first thing that came to mind in putting out the fire: the witch's black ice. He picked up one of the blocks that came from his escape and held it up.

"Here, Anna! Use this!"

Kristoff then placed the cube on Anna's hand, putting out the fire as it began to melt in its clutch, the resulting water turning it into smoke as Anna tried to take a deep breath and calm herself down. While she did so, Kristoff looked around, trying to find the witch who cursed her, only to see no trace of her. He was clearly not happy with what they went through and he knew that Anna was no happier with that.

"Hey! Stop hiding and fix her right now!"

Unfortunately for Kristoff, there was no response in the forest as Anna continued to look at her hand.

"Come on! I know you can hear me!"

Meanwhile, Anna was in awe over what her hand has done since her encounter with the witch. First, it burned Kristoff, and now it set itself on fire. What's next? To answer her unspoken question, Anna's hand began to surprise her yet again. It generated a glow that's usually seen in festivities, entrancing her with its beauty as she tried to get Kristoff to notice.

"Uh, Kristoff? You might want to see this."

Kristoff didn't think there was anything good to see, considering what he'd seen so far. Nonetheless, he turned around to look, expecting another disaster to help her out with.

"See what?"

What Kristoff saw was actually contrary to what he expected. Anna's hand was generating... colors? It was shooting small sparks of them in green, red, and even blue colors around them before they disappeared, leaving them in awe along with Olaf and Sven, who watched in interest. Anna was procuring fireworks!

"Whoa!"

"How are you doing that, Anna?"

"That's what I like to know."

Beautiful as the display was, Kristoff had a hunch about what could be responsible for it, or more accurately, who.

"I'll bet it's that witch. We have to go find her and make her change you back."

_**Play David Pemberton Music: "Another World, Another Time" (1:33)**_

Desperate as she was to be back to normal, Anna had concerns about this plan.

"But Kristoff, what about my powers? I might burn the forest down if I just run off with no idea how to control them."

"Well, what do you suggest I do? Take you back to Arendelle like this?"

Whether he intended to or not, he actually gave Anna an idea. The only person who could be on par with her right now is Elsa. If anyone could help somehow, it's her. Besides, seeing what she could do sparked Anna's curiosity about her powers. The least she could do is find out. With that in mind, Anna began to make a face that suggested she had a plan. However, it was to Kristoff's concern

"Wait. You're not... you're not really considering that, are you?"

"You got any better ideas? I'm all ears."

Kristoff tried to think of another approach to suggest, but alas, he couldn't. At least, Elsa would be able to help her. Maybe that's what she had in mind...

"Okay. Back to Arendelle, it is."

With that, Anna and Kristoff went back on the sled with the latter using the rope to signal Sven.

"Let's go, boy."

Sven then proceeded his match to Arendelle as Olaf wanted an encore of her fireworks.

"Hey, Anna, do you think you can show me those fireworks again?"

Unbeknownst to the group, however, the witch was watching them from afar on the path behind them as she gave a glare to them. Everything had gone just as she planned thus far. And she's more than certain it'll work as she turned her glare back to Arendelle.

"If Arendelle won't freeze... then it'll _burn _to the ground."

_**End David Pemberton Music: "Another World, Another Time"**_

**A/N: Apparently, ****I've jinxed us. Still, Anna is too stubborn to give up. Then again, maybe the witch had that in mind. There'll be more info on her soon, but not in the next few chapters, so try not to hold your breath over that. Beside that, I will address that there will be some inclusions of Frozen II's deleted scenes that have recently gone online. Though, I can't say for sure if I'm adding the deleted songs in the mix. I guess we'll see...**


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